


A Winter's Ball [unedited]

by Jammy



Category: Neopets
Genre: Dream Story, I dont know I woke up and wanted to type this, M/M, Romance, royal parties, ventart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 03:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12448800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jammy/pseuds/Jammy
Summary: There's a Winter's Ball in the north of Brightvale, where royal families can gather and mingle with others or enjoy some good food and wine. But for Cathal, who had recently returned to his family and beginning to set his whole life together, this was nothing.





	A Winter's Ball [unedited]

**Author's Note:**

  * For [werelupewoods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/werelupewoods/gifts), [t3f3r](https://archiveofourown.org/users/t3f3r/gifts).



> Hey, I've been pretty dead here lately, sorry. 
> 
> At first it was because I got myself wrapped up in an amazing project with my sister and some friends.....and then now I messed up my hand so it's been ~~painful~~ hard for me to write or draw anything since. 
> 
> I had this dream when I took a nap earlier and it's been so long since I wrote with Cathal or Nickolas I just felt compelled to write them again. Cathal is around twenty four here when he is accepted at the college, Nickolas is twenty three and finally an official cleric, the timeline might be sorta weird but whatever this is based on a dream....anyways, here's wonderwall.

You have _got_ to be kidding.

 

Young Cathal Callahan watched on with a look of disgust on his face as a family of the most pompous looking Gelerts he’s ever seen in his life waltzed through the giant doorway. The first two who led the rest of the family wore old landish outfits, their faces and hair heavily powdered in white, as if to hide their original colors and an expression so melodramatic it looked as though they were sleep walking...or kept thinking about the disgusting meal they had last night.

 

Agatha and Gilbert Devant, the original couple that was invited to the Blanchet estates for the Winter Ball.

 

Cathal’s snorted laugh was quickly quieted as his uncle Donal gives him a disciplinary shove to his arm, once the couple was introduced and the other royals in the family all applauded—out of courtesy—then waited for the rest of the family to be brought out and introduced. Two by two, like petpets sort of. Cathal rolled his eyes when Donal whispered ‘behave’ to him over his own shoulder, he takes a much needed sip of the spiced wine and then realizes when the alcohol reaches his tongue that, yes, he’s an adult now in the eyes of the royal court.

 

“I’m not a child anymore, uncle.” Cathal manages to comment under a hushed breath, knowing full well that his relative would have no issue in pulling him away and to some dirt ring outside the property so that they can settle their differences as such. Rather Donal didn’t hear him or ignored the comment was a mystery at first, and so the younger Christmas Gelert shakes his head. “I just hope that you can stop treating me as such.”

 

“I can’t help it, you know.” Donal finally comments without looking at his nephew’s direction when the house servant introduced two more Devants to the party, John and Bridget Devant, who looked much more presentable in their more sophisticated garbs and furs over their shoulders, large eye-like jewels cleverly put on them as a centerpiece. He joins the much louder applause, his golden eyes still focused on doorway farthest away from them. “You weren’t really the most obedient child in the family--”

 

“Thanks.” Cathal mutters yet again with a painfully sarcastic tone to his voice, he buries his nose into his drink again.

 

“--but that was our fault.” Donal admits, almost silently, the graduate nearly chokes on his drink in surprise and turns to his uncle. “It wasn’t until after you had sought out on life on your own that you returned to us, so it’s certain you’re not sure of our customs--”

 

“Uncle Donal, please.” Cathal pats his uncle on the shoulder so that the older royal could finally look at him in the eyes, he can see the guilt that almost every other one of his family members had on their face when they had rediscovered that he had survived his family’s gruesome attack in Winterhelm. And being that it was his family and it’s heritage being the only thing left in his life worth living for he couldn’t help but feel sorry as well….well, they weren’t the _only_ thing that kept the light in his life alight but… “Just admit it, I’m still not yet accustomed with all this _boring_ , _exhausting_ and absolutely _horrendous_ ‘adult’ royal stuff.”

 

“Silence you.” Donal manages to laugh just a little as he gives him another shove in the shoulder, the two look at the doorway with surprise as another family member was introduced by the house servant, but there wasn’t two names. Just one.

 

Brother Nickolas Devant.

 

“A man of the clergy? In the Devant family nonetheless.” Donal whispers clapping along with the rest of the awed crowd, “The Devants haven’t had a member of the church be in their family for almost twenty-five years, what a surprise indeed.” The older Christmas Gelert looks over when he doesn’t hear a reply, instead he’s greeted with the painfully familiar lovesick Puppyblew look in his nephew’s eyes and the soft smile on his muzzle when he stares almost longingly at the young blonde who walked through the doorway.

 

Though he was young, a year Cathal’s junior in fact, Nickolas was actually quite tall for his age—a trait that came naturally to the Devant—he wore white holy robes, his hands folded together but completely hidden by his long sleeves and the eye-like jewel on the chest of his garbs. His expression mirrored his father’s, solemn, but reflected the same inquisitive and bright eyes just like his mother’s. (Though, instead of green eyes, his were hazel.) After walking through the doorway he took a few swift steps over so that he can be behind his mother and father, keeping a large gap between him and Gilbert and his wife.

 

“Right.” Donal began slowly when he sees Cathal hurry on to drink the rest of the ruby colored liquid in his glass. He turns around once, then twice, cheeks still full of liquor in hopes that he can find somewhere to drop the wine glass and forget about it, with a hard swallow he decides to just shove the thin glass into his uncle’s hands. “You and this Brother Nickolas are acquainted already, yes?”

 

“I’ll be back.” Cathal manages to comment with hard pats to his uncle’s shoulder he slips behindhim and begins to bob and weave through the crowd. It wasn’t often that the Devants would come to a party, let alone coming to a party without the presence of their younger son Alphonse. This was the perfect opportunity for Cathal to go join his dear Nickolas’ company. The Christmas colored royal didn’t bother sticking around to hear his uncle’s reply as he’s almost completely through the pompous looking crowd, while he’s walking passed a fountain that was there he let his hand out far enough so that he can wet his fingertips and use them to push back his black tussled hair then gently brush at the stubble on his chin.

 

He ducked behind one of the statues that stood behind where the Devant family members sat, he’d get closer but he’s heard that the Devant were one of the royal families that possessed Insight—and being that he saw it firsthand when he grew up with Nickolas, it had to be true—so sneaking up on them wouldn’t be an easy task. While he was still hidden, he peeked over and caught glimpse of the young cleric. Cathal grins and turns himself around so that he can rest his back against the large statue, making it look as though he was resting, he clears his throat just a little to warm up his vocal cords and starts to sing a small chant, one that Nickolas and other participating members of the Winterhelm cathedral would know. He peeks at the corner of his eye and he sees Nickolas’ ears twitch, the blonde perks up a little upon recognizing the voice and he looks around as casually as he could before leaning over to his mother and father to whisper something, probably to excuse himself.

 

It didn’t take long for Nickolas to walk in his direction, but he did walk past the statue and stop almost in the center of the room, Cathal stops singing and instead he sneaks up on him slowly before grabbing his shoulders. “Boo!”

 

“Cal!” Nickolas almost yelps upon turning around, he glares at the shorter Gelert for a moment and crosses his arms to hide them in his white sleeves again. “You scared me half to death!”

 

“Sorry, dear.” Cathal manages to coo, his smile warms up though as he looks at his friend up and down, taking in just how absolutely radiant he looks in pure white and soft light coming from the ballroom’s chandeliers. While unbeknownst to him, Nickolas was doing the same, his expression softens when he sees just how noble Cathal was in his family’s original colors. The black and forest green really did compliment his dark fur, and the red sash that was tied across his chest made him stand out, he actually fixed his hair for once and his stubble seems to grow out more with every time he’s seen him. He is incredibly handsome, and he was going to make a lucky someone very happy one day…

 

For some reason...that thought made his heart heavy…

 

“I’m sorry.” Cathal says again as he extends his hand, he caught sight of the pain that had found itself in those beautiful hazel eyes and now he was feeling hurt as well. “I didn’t mean to scare you so much--”

 

“Oh, no, no you didn’t.” Nickolas finally says realizing that he really shouldn’t be letting his emotions show so easily, he gratefully accepts Cathal’s hand and smiles when his friend gives him a kiss on the back of it, “I’m sorry, I just have a lot of things on my mind at the moment. Forgive me, Cal.”

 

“No need to be sorry,” the darker pet chirped pressing his cheek into Nickolas’ warm palm with a heavenly sigh, “all is forgiven now that you’re here with me, love.” he smiles more when Nickolas uses his other hand to gently move some black curls away from his face and push them back into a more suitable style. “But please, if it helps I’d love to listen to your troubles.” Cathal offers, tilting his head with puzzlement when Nickolas doesn’t answer with anything else other than a troubled hum. The young cleric takes a moment to look at the direction where he came from, as if to make sure no one had followed him, then he turns back to Cathal and begins to pull his hand to guide them off through the ballroom. Cathal is all in smiles as the blonde begins to lead, usually it would be him that would show Nickolas where to go and where they should sit, talk, or be alone. He liked the change.

 

“I don’t wish to talk about it.” Nickolas states abruptly once they made it to a bench just besides the balcony’s glass doors, being that they haven’t gone outside meant that there was someone there, possibly. Cathal sits after Nickolas does, scooting a little closer so that their faces were just mere inches apart, the blonde uses a long breath to hide the sigh, though Cathal could see the turmoil on his face.

 

“Is it about your brother?” Cathal asks.

 

“I told you my thoughts already.” Nickolas answers sternly, his eyes shooting away.

 

Well, that means ‘yes’.

 

“How is he?” Cathal absolutely hates Alphonse with the burning passion of a thousand suns, whenever he came across the bratty blonde at the Cathedral back when he was a student, Alphonse would never waste a second to throw insults at him, or threats for him to stay away from his older brother. He never took the insults and threats to heart, he could easily immobilize him if a royal duel called for it…or not, but he hated how Nickolas would come to drop anything he can at the fall of a hat for his brother. He’s older, damn it, he should put his foot down (as if he hasn’t told him that already). The only reason why Cathal would bother to ask about Alphonse is only because he knows how much Nickolas cares for his younger brother, and it would make him happy knowing that Cathal had at least a sliver of concern for his well being.

 

It works, somewhat, Nickolas looks down at their hands and he gently toys with the gloves that Cathal wears to cover up his cold fingers. Ever since his dear friend’s untimely demise in their pilgrimage he’s always kept his hands covered, maybe because so many had mentioned how cold his touch was, though Nickolas keeps it to himself that sometimes he just wants to see Cathal’s hands again. Did they have calluses from him hunting in his new occupation? Did they have scars from when he fought his way back to their world? The young cleric brings one of Cathal’s hand up, pressing a small kiss on the back of each one of his fingers in blessing.

 

“He’s fine.” Nickolas finally answers, though the silence doesn’t really settle well between them long enough for him to look into his friend’s bright yellow eyes. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too.” Cathal smiles, his heart is fluttering and he gratefully accepts the warmth from the blessing in his fingers, making him feel as though he has the strength of a hundred or more men. He loved his friend so much, it was a miracle that his heart can actually contain it all… “Right, uh,” he managed to laugh a little in embarrassment as he waves a free hand in the air, “I wanted to ask...who the hell were those two that first came in with you?”

 

“Aunt Agatha and Mr. Gil.” Nickolas groans with an immature roll of his eyes, “My father’s sister and her annoying second husband, I don’t think you’d like them so much.”

 

“Whoa, _second_ husband?” the Christmas Gelert asks with pure shock, “Wait, I thought your Aunt Agatha was married to some captain….Captain Greyling or something.”

 

“Not anymore.” the blonde leans back on the bench so that he can rest his back before resting his chin on Cathal’s head, the other pet doesn’t mind in the least, he tilts his head so that he can rest it against Nickolas’ shoulder more comfortably. “I’m not sure what happened exactly, but he left home one day after they had an argument and didn’t return.”

 

“Lost?”

 

“For ten _years_?”

 

“Ah, good point.” Cathal nods, careful not to make so much movement that it takes his friend off of him. Usually Nickolas would be a little flustered to show this much of physical attention to him in public, let alone at a ball that had pretty much every royal family from the area attending. He, of course, didn’t care what the other royals thought, but he did catch the small sigh from Nickolas. “Are you well?”

 

“Just tired.” the blonde laughs forcefully, “Sleep was something I didn’t catch last night when I retreated to bed.” the Christmas Gelert hums back in an inquisitive tone, as if letting his friend know that he can continue. “The only thing I caught was a book about olden poets.”

 

“You should have know better, Nicko!” Cathal laughs, his tone becoming a little more teasing as Nickolas rolls his eyes and told him that he didn’t feel like sleeping. “And this is why I have to be there, so I can read to you! My boring voice always put you to sleep.”

 

“Your voice isn’t boring, moron.” his friend mumbles while trying his best to hide his reddening face behind his long white sleeve, Cathal was unconvinced by his statement and he leans over so that he can match their eyes with another long hum. “It’s just...nice, it’s rich enough to help me fall asleep, that’s all.”

 

“Then that’s more the reason for me and you to be together.” the young Callahan claims with a very loving looking grin on his face, though Nickolas’ expression becomes ever so solemn, Cathal is not in the least bit surprised at this because as much as he would hate to admit it he also was in love with his dear friend’s naive nature.

 

“You mean ‘live together’?”

 

“But of course.” It was a lie but not a complete one, Cathal had always dreamed of getting a nice looking house near the shores or somewhere in some remote forest and living there with Nickolas. They would walk and wonder through towns using the dirt roads and travel far and wide, Nickolas would live his life helping others and enlightening him (like what he wanted to do) and all the while he would crave his thirst for knowledge by learning as much as he could about everything. When they felt that they had been out for too long they would return to their lovely looking property and enjoy the fruit that hung from their own trees, or they would cook with vegetables and herbs they had on their property.

 

One day…

 

“Of course, that would have to be after my schooling.” Cathal finally admits, almost bitterly until he sees Nickolas’ eyes flash for an instant. At first he’s absolutely frightened at what his dear friend saw, did he see the dream he was just remembering? Or…

 

“You’ve made it into the Winterhelm College then!” Nickolas gasps clapping his hands together excitedly, it took a moment to realize then that, yes, school was on his mind just after he was dreaming about how he thinks they would spend the rest of their days. Thank Fyora for his forever changing thoughts. Nickolas grabs Cathal’s hands again and unintentionally bring them to his chest. “Oh that is amazing news, Cal! It would be a shame for them to not accept you, honestly, because you’re such a charismatic character and you’re incredibly intelligent too, a grand college like the one in Winterhelm would be dying to have you as their student.” Nickolas laughs a little and brings their hands up to his cheek, “Sorry, I’m rambling, but I’m just so proud of you.”

 

“Well don’t be proud of me just yet, Nicko.” the Christmas Gelert’s tone doesn’t lose his pride as he brings up his hand so that he can brush his knuckles gently against his friend’s pale cheek. “This is only my first year, I’m getting through the normal classes just fine but next year is going to be much harder. You can congratulate me in five years, once after I leave the college at the top of my class.” Cathal states promptly, though Nickolas laughs a little with a shake of his head, not in a taunting matter but more like a bit of disbelief. He doesn’t doubt Cathal, his magic skills and Insight was incredible even if he wasn’t using it’s full potential, and he was very smart, he just couldn’t believe that Cathal would put himself to reach so high. But at the same time, that’s what he loves about his dear Cathal.

 

“You’re already planning on what you’ll graduate as.” the blonde asks letting his muzzle rub against Cathal’s hand, “Do not hesitate to send for me, or visit me at the Cathedral then. It’s only a few streets away from us you know.”

 

“But of course.” Cathal smiles removing his hand so that he can let his muzzle rub against Nickolas’ instead, his friend lets out an embarrassed huff but doesn’t remove himself from the caress, making Cathal laugh a little more. “If the Cathedral itself couldn’t contain me, I doubt this college will.”


End file.
